Compact folding wrench

Abstract: A compact, foldable wrench (10) having a head (12) for engaging a threaded fastener to be rotated, and a handle (16) pivotally attached to the head for use in a folded position substantially surrounding the head, or an open position projecting radially from the head. The head (12) may contain an opening to receive a fastener head ( e.g ., may be in the form of a box wrench), or alternatively, it may house a ratchet mechanism adapted to receive a drive socket or other fastener drive. In another embodiment, the head (12) may house a screw driver.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to torque-applying tools, particularly including manually-operated ratchet wrenches and other devices for rotating threaded fasteners. 2. Description of the Related Art Numerous tools adapted to rotatably drive threaded fasteners and workpieces, such as screws, bolts, nuts and the like, have been developed in the past. These prior tools include common screwdrivers, wrenches, nut drivers, adjustable wrenches, socket wrenches, and ratchet wrenches, to name a few. Particularly important among them are ratchet wrenches, which include a typical square cross-section drive post connected to a ratchet mechanism carried within a housing which may be hemispherically shaped to form a handle, or from which a handle with, typically, a generally cylindrical or rectangular cross-section may project radially. A socket selected from a socket set having various socket openings sized to receive differently dimensioned bolt heads or nuts is then removably secured on the drive post. Small, hand-held wrenches exist which may be used to tighten or loosen a workpiece. Some such wrenches are even small enough to be carried in a user's pocket. However, due to the relatively small size, the user often cannot apply sufficient torque, since no lever arm or handle is formed on the wrench to get mechanical advantage. GB-A-802,015 discloses a so-called "plug spanner" having a handle pivotable between a first, closed position and a second, open position. In the open position of the handle the spanner is capable of engaging a vehicle spark plug, but in its closed position the handle retains the spark plug within the spanner. The spanner of GB-A-802,015 thus is not useable as a wrench when the handle occupies its closed position. Accordingly, there remains a need for a small, hand-held tool, particularly one that can be carried in a user's pocket, which may be used to quickly tighten or loosen a fastener or other workpiece, but also provide sufficient torque to loosen or tighten a workpiece when the operation requires additional mechanical advantage. According to the invention there is provided a tool for applying torque to a workpiece, comprising: a) a head for engaging a workpiece; b) a pivot; and c) a handle connected to the head by the pivot and moveable between an open position of the tool in which the handle extends radially away from the head and a folded position of the tool in which the handle substantially surrounds the head, characterised in that the head is engageable with and disengageable from a workpiece in both the open and folded positions of the tool. Embodiments of the invention provide a small, hand-held tool including a head for engaging a fastener or other workpiece to be rotated, and a handle pivotally attached to the head to pivot between a folded position substantially surrounding the head and an open position projecting from the head and providing a longer moment arm to facilitate application of greater torque. The head may contain an appropriately shaped aperture for receiving a fastener ( e.g. , it may be a box wrench head), or alternatively, it may house a ratchet mechanism adapted to receive a drive socket or other fastener drivers such as screw drivers. It is accordingly an advantage of the invention to provide a small hand held-tool which may be used to quickly tighten or loosen a fastener, particularly in tight locations where a lengthy handle may be unusable. It is a further advantage of the invention to provide a small, hand-held tool that can be carried in a user's pocket and which can provide sufficient torque to loosen or tighten a fastener when that operation requires additional mechanical advantage. It is a further advantage of the invention to provide a ratchet wrench which can provide sufficient torque to loosen or tighten a threaded fastener when that operation requires additional mechanical advantage. There now follows a description of preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wrench of the present invention in its folded position, nested comfortably in a user's hand. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the wrench shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevation view showing the wrench head in its folded position in solid lines and in its open position in broken lines and the handle in section along line 3 - 3 in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wrench shown in Figure 1 in the fully unfolded position, showing the top of the wrench head and bottom and side of its handle. Figure 5 is a plan view of the wrench shown in Figure 1 in the fully unfolded position, showing the bottom of the handle and top of the wrench head. Figures 1-5 illustrate the present invention embodied in a square-drive ratchet wrench, but the present invention is more generally a hand-held tool that rotatably drives a threaded fastener or other workpiece. The wrench 10 , as may be particularly well-appreciated by reference to Figure 4, includes a ratchet head 12 , connected by a rolled pin pivot 14 to a handle 16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the head 12 has a projection or flange 28 on one end through which the pivot 14 runs (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5). Pivot 14 permits rotation of head 12 and handle 16 between open and closed positions, as illustrated in Figure 3. When the wrench 10 is in the fully closed position (Figures 1-3), head 12 is at substantially a zero degree angle in relation to the plane of handle 16 . When the wrench 10 is in the fully open position (Figures 3-5), head 12 is at substantially a 180 degree angle in relation to the plane of handle 16 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, head 12 , handle 16 , and pivot 14 may be made of metal, plastic, and other materials having suitable strength, durability and other required properties. More specifically, head 12 , components of the ratchet mechanism contained in it, and pivot 14 may be fabricated of steel, while handle 16 may be injection molded of plastics such as nylon 6,6. Head 12 may contain a box wrench opening, or a screwdriver of any type, such as the flat-, Phillips-, square-, or Allen-head variety (not shown). Alternatively, square head 12 may house a ratchet mechanism 18 , with either a single drive post 30 projecting out of the bottom of head 12 (Figures 1, 3, 4), or double drive posts (not shown) projecting out of both the top and bottom of head 12 . Ratchet mechanism 18 may be single or double pawl, and may have a center shift 26 . Ratchet mechanism 18 may be held in place with either a threaded keeper 19 (Figures 2-5), a spring retainer clip (not shown), or any other suitable retainer mechanism. Naturally, other types of ratchet mechanisms may likewise be employed with the present invention. Handle 16 substantially surrounds head 12 when wrench 10 is in the fully closed position (Figures 1, 3). However, in the fully-open position, handle 16 and head 12 are at substantially a 180 degree angle. Among other alternatives, handle 16 may be annulus-, horseshoe-, or rectangular-shaped, and may desirably include scallops 20 , or other indentations along its outer circumference to increase the friction between wrench 10 and the user's hand 36 , and thus reduce slippage (Figures 1, 2, 4, 5). When head 12 is folded into handle 16 the top surface 23 of head 12 seats against a shelf 25 in handle 16 that stops further rotation of head 12 on pivot 14 , thereby permitting substantial force to be exerted down along the axis on which post 30 rotates when wrench 10 is used in its folded position. Shelf 25 contains a hole 22 through which center-shift 26 projects so that it can be operated with wrench 10 in its folded position. One or more protrusions 32 along the bottom inside edge 34 of handle 16 capture head 12 when it is folded to keep it in that position during storage, transportation, and the like. In an alternative embodiment, instead of a pivot 14 , the invention includes a means for converting the tool between open and closed positions. This means could include, for example, tongues projecting from flange 28 of head 12 that are received in mating grooves in handle 16 (not shown). As shown in Figure 1, the tool may fit comfortably in the hand of a typical user. The tool may be used in the closed position (Figure 1), or may be used in the open position (Figures 3-5) to apply greater torque to a threaded fastener or other workpiece. As will be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art, numerous modifications of and additions to the wrench 10 described above may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims: A tool (10) for applying torque to a workpiece, comprising: a) a head (12) for engaging a workpiece; b) a pivot (14); and c) a handle (16) connected to the head (12) by the pivot (14) and moveable between an open position of the tool in which the handle extends radially away from the head and a folded position of the tool in which the handle substantially surrounds the head, characterised in that the head (12) is engageable with and disengageable from a workpiece in both the open and folded positions of the tool (10). The tool of claim 1, further comprising a ratchet mechanism (18) in the head (12). The tool of claim 2, wherein the ratchet mechanism (18) further comprises a square drive post (30). The tool of any of claims 1-3, wherein the tool (10) is made of materials selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic. The tool of any of claims 1-4, wherein the handle (16) is in the shape of an annulus. The tool of any of claims 1-5, wherein the handle (16) is of a size sufficient to fit comfortably in a typical user's hand. The tool of any of claims 1-6, wherein the head (12) has a flange (28) on one end through which the pivot (14) runs. The tool of claim 2 or 3, wherein the ratchet mechanism (18) is a double pawl, center shift mechanism (26). The tool of claim 8, wherein the handle (16) contains an aperture (22) permitting switching of the ratchet mechanism (18) while the head is in the folded position of the tool. The tool of any of claims 2, 3, 8 and 9 wherein the ratchet mechanism (18) is held in place with a threaded keeper (19). The tool of any of claims 1-10, wherein the pivot (14) permits the pivoting of the head (12) between approximately one-hundred and eighty (180) degrees with respect to the plane of the handle (16). The tool of claim 11, wherein the handle (16) stops the pivoting of the head at the folded position and at the open position. The tool of claim 11 or 12, wherein the handle (16) further comprises a shelf (25) that stops pivoting of the head (12) at approximately zero (0) degrees with respect to the plane of the handle (16). The tool of any of claims 1-13, wherein the handle (16) contains indentations (20) to increase the friction with the user's hand and reduce slippage. The tool of any of claims 1-14, wherein the handle (16) further comprises a means to keep the head (12) in a folded position of the tool. The tool of claim 15, wherein the means to keep the head in a folded position comprises one or more protrusions (32) along the inside edge (34) of the handle. A tool (10) according to any of Claims 1 to 4 or 6 to 16, comprising a generally horseshoe-shaped handle (16) that is of a size that fits comfortably in a typical user's hand. A tool according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle comprises: (i) an inner perimeter (34) substantially surrounding the head (12) when the tool is in the folded position; (ii) support means (32), against which the head (12) abuts when the tool is in the folded position, for allowing substantial force to be exerted upon the head when it engages the workpiece while the tool is in the folded position; and (iii) restraining means (28) for preventing the head from rotating about the pivot beyond the open position. The tool of claim 18, further comprising a screwdriver attached to the head (12). The tool of claim 18 or 19, wherein the support means comprises a shelf extending from the inner perimeter (34). The tool of any of claims 18-20, wherein the restraining means comprises a flange (28) that prevents the head (12) from pivoting beyond the open position of the tool, wherein the head is stopped at one-hundred and eighty (180) degrees of rotation from the folded position. The tool of any of Claims 18 to 21, wherein the handle comprises plastic. The tool of Claim 22, wherein the plastic comprises nylon 6,6. The tool of any preceding claim, in which the handle is generally horseshoe-shaped. The tool of any preceding claim, in which the handle (16) is generally rectangular.

Inventors: KNOX ROBERT L, REDDY JOHN C, KNOX, ROBERT L., REDDY, JOHN C.
Applicants: SNAP ON TOOLS CO, SNAP-ON-TOOLS COMPANY
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B25B23
IPC codes: B25B13, B25G1